Emotional Support Needed

Going through breast cancer treatment Top tips and practical support
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Thank you x

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@sbee what @Tulip29 said please reach out no matter how you feel right now I promise you the world is a better place with you in it as much as this journey has shaped where you are now this is one chapter in your life. Twenty years ago I was going through a difficult time I know not at all like the situation you are in but I took some tablets to get to the alternative and I am so grateful that I am here now for so many reasons, hang on in their please talk to someone, as much as this chapter has been unleashed on you there will be others chapters that will feel more joyous xx

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Dear ljsdreams, Looks like you have had many replies and I read a few and they are really helpful, so I am hoping you are feeling a bit better now.

My whole family bleed and bruise easily. It was something I was worried about with my op, which was on the 4th March this year. I did bruise but not as bad as I expected. what you have been going through sounds extremely hard, so my heart goes out to you.

I am just going to put couple of things in that may or may not be helpful and you can check this out with your medical team. Before the operation I took a natural vitamin K2 Natto extracted. this helps blood to clot properly. When I had bloods done for the operation my platelet count was very low, so this was important that I kept this up after the operation. I also had Arnica 30c homeopathic, as for me it has stopped bleeding and heavy busing. You have to decide what is best for you but the nurses who were looking after me, asked if I was having Arnica. It worked for me and not such bad reactions. Like you I can get awful response to operation and severe bruising and bleeding. I am so sorry you have gone through this terrible tough time. It all will calm down and improve and by now you are likely through the worst of it.

I am still taking my Vit K2 MK7. I also eat loads of watercress as its high in iron and easily absorbed. Most of all you need rest and a calm atmosphere, as that is beneficial for healing. Our human bodies take their own time to heal and sometimes our minds get in the way of our own healing. Try putting on some Binaural Beats, as they have soothing music and calming effect and different vibrational Hz help the body to speed up the healing process. Iā€™ve been using them and play them all day. Sending you loving kindness to you and your lovely body. xx

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Hello,

Rant as much as you want, This cancer is nasty and it affects us all mentally differently. All treatment is different to our bodies. I have stopped looking on social media re breast cancer to be honest that is scary like hell!.

Myself personally am going to panic, think I cannot do, but Im not going to let it defeat me, Iā€™m am strong, will take each day as it comes, sleep when I can.

This is like one of your marathon focusing on each section of your race this time the journey is slower but their is an ending.

Stay strong, :heart:

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@sbee

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Thank you for your comment. Really helpful to know about vitamin K2 Natto extract I have not heard of this so will look this up, same with Arnica 30c. I have heard of Binaural beats so will try those too. The most welcome news yesterday after 20 nights of having the drain in it was finally taken out yesterday, I am grateful that it did the job that my body couldnā€™t do at the time but it was so liberating to get it out, it was constantly sore and pinching me day and night, when the nurse took it out she said that the stitch was in quite tight which explains the constant pulling feeling. Yesterday was the first day in three weeks I have felt somewhere near to how I felt the day I went in for the first operation, I also managed over 9,000 steps without trying, it felt like an easy day with a nice walk so I feel so much better that I can move around unrestricted now. Take care xxx

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Thank you. I feel so much better today, had the drain out yesterday after 20 nights and for the first time in the last three weeks I felt like I did before I went in to have the operation. I have been doing some research and it is beneficial to lie on your back with your eyes closed ideally for ten minutes, I thought I would be asleep but I didnā€™t, if you canā€™t manage 10 minutes then even a few will help. People at the end of yoga classes do this, it resets your posture, calms the nervous system, improves breathing and relieves muscle tension, it also supports recovery after stress or surgery, maybe you could try this if you feel any feelings of panic. I do agree about social media I am in some forums on social media and I think I am going to come out of them, it just promotes unnecessary worry, take care xx

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So pleased to hear you are feeling better.

I have now my own next step, which is to decide whether I do the drugs and radiotherapy. I have an appointment tomorrow. I am still healing so itā€™s not urgent to decision but its looming and I want to concentrate on now increasing my activity from walking into something more challenging, to become fitter.

What a time this is for us women and also men, who are also beset by hormonal cancers. We also need answers as to why so many of us are affected by our own hormones and how we can rectify this. Itā€™s a journey I am on to find out at much as I can, as I have been a health practitioner for over 40 years. I feel it is important to look for those deeper causes.

Good lucky to you on your healing pathway to health xxx

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Iā€™m with you on this one Iā€™ve always felt that whilst itā€™s wonderful to have so many treatments available and the wonderful NHS is there anyone out there trying to find the root cause of why this is happening I guess itā€™s a number of reasons, I wanted to know with all modern day research why more and more people are getting cancer. Itā€™s lots of reasons including lifestyle, age expectancy rising, better detection rates, ultra processed foods, the environment but ultimately I have read it comes down to bad luck and that is a very bitter pill to swallow, good luck with your research itā€™s very interesting xx

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I am really sorry you are going through such a difficult and exhausting recovery. What you are feeling right now is completely understandableā€”physical trauma, complications, sleep deprivation and the emotional shock of diagnosis together can feel overwhelming. Please be kind to yourself in this moment. You are not ā€œweakā€ for feeling this way you are going through something very intense, and both your body and mind are under a lot of stress right now. I can also relate to difficult recovery journeys in my own family. My daughter, who is 25 years old and currently in college, recently underwent DIEP flap surgery from TXDIEPflap procedure. She was also quite fragile internally after surgery, but with strong medical care, support, and patience, she is now gradually improving and doing much better. Watching her journey has reminded me that even very difficult recovery phases can slowly improve with time and care. Right now, you are still in the very early stage of recovery. The bruising, drain, fatigue, and emotional lows can feel endless, but they are part of the healing process and not your permanent situation. Try to take things one small step and one hour at a time instead of looking at the full journey. And please donā€™t feel guilty for the emotions you are experiencing sleep deprivation and physical stress can deeply affect your mental state. You are clearly a strong and active person, and that strength is still within you itā€™s just under the weight of everything happening right now. With time, support, and healing, things do improve. Please continue to speak openly with your medical team about how overwhelmed you are feeling mentally as well as physically ou deserve full support in every aspect of this journey

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Thank you so much for your kind comments. Thank you also for the reminder that even very difficult recovery phases can slowly improve with time and care as your daughter did, I am sorry to know that your daughter also had a tough journey but that she is doing well now. It is also helpful to take things one day at a time or as you say sometimes one hour at a time. Indeed the strength is within me and I need to remind myself of this on really tough days. Speaking to my medical team about how overwhelmed I felt was something that I didnā€™t do but something I will do going forward if I need to. I am incredibly grateful for this kind supportive forum and everyone who has commented. I intend to keep all the comments and when I am having a particularly bad day will re-read them as all of the comments have helped me so much, thank you xx

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Hi everyone, I am once again turning to this lovely community for some support, I feel like I am losing my mind right now. I had my results back from my operation yesterday they didnā€™t get clear margins so I now need a mastectomy, I am at peace with this, its just the thought of having to have another operation, another period of recovery and another drain in, this feels unmanageable right now although I know I have to just get on with it. My mind went blank when the consultant was talked and I think she said there were more tumours there than they thought that they couldnā€™t detect on the mammogram and ultrasound, but the good news was my lymph nodes were clear. The consultant mentioned something about having a CT scan but I couldnā€™t remember why she said this and she seemed to skirt over it fairly quickly. Today I have had a call to go for a CT scan tomorrow. I am super worried that they think it has spread although I am a little confused by this as my lymph nodes were clear. I have called the breast nurses twice today but havenā€™t been able to speak with anyone. Can anyone put my mind at rest please about this CT Scan, has anyone had any experience of having to have this? Please give me the brutal truth I would rather know than sit here worrying all night, thank you in advance for the wonderful support in this forum.

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@ljsdreams222 Hello lovely. So sorry you have you to have a second op but very good news your lymph nodes are clear.

I treated the CT scan as them being thorough and gathering information not because they knew anything more or that they suspected a spread. For me they used it to confirm that what they were looking at in the breast and lymph nodes was all that needed to be dealt with. Itā€™s the fact checking scan and I want my Drs to have all the information to treat me-thatā€™s it,

I then had to have an MRI to further check a few spots on my spine-which was fine.

Best of luck-relax as much as you can & lots of deep slow breaths-you canā€™t control this bit but you definitely want your Drs to be best equipped with all the information xx

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@whataloadof thank you so much for your reply this has settled my mind what a journey all of this is x

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@ljsdreams222 It really is but I promise you will handle it. If you havenā€™t looked yet I found so much support in the early days & to manage all the uncertainty from Penny Brohn especially their lovely breath work & clinical hypnotherapy sessions. All online. Good luck tomorrow xx

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Hi lovely, it will just be to check as they said that all the lumps didnt all show up on the scans. 1 of mine didnt show up on 1 of the scans, so i had a breast mri for them to be sure x

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@catlover2 thank you, itā€™s so easy for the mind to wonder to the worse possible scenario, I think thats maybe a normal thing especially as Iā€™ve had a few setbacks something I wasnā€™t prepared for, but I am learning every day to ride the waves and stay in the present, yes itā€™s hard but not impossible x

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Definitely, its so hard with all the calls/appts too, our heads are all over the place so we cant take all the information in. I hope your ct scan is quick tomorrow and that you sleep well x

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